"My love... At last, we're together..."

With teary eyes, Quinn threw herself at Talon. She had missed this low voice as much as she would have missed oxygen. His body felt hard, solid. There.

She had no idea where the two of them were... She had never seen this waterfall and clearing, and didn't care at all. This place offered a well-needed peace and quiet, and shielded her embrace with Talon from any prying eyes. That's all that mattered.

"Talon... I love you. Please, never leave again!" She begged.

This mere thought made Quinn almost fall to her knees. She couldn't believe that Talon was there for real... And still, he caught her in his strong arms, and pulled her against him like he never wanted to let go.

"Never again." He whispered in her ear.

It was hard not to believe him, especially because of the shivers sent in her neck when his lips had been this close. Oh, she had misssed those lips so dearly...

Talon's thumbs were drawing loving circles under her shoulderblades, rubbing against the soft fabric of her shirt. Quinn hummed in pleasure. The Noxian had always had the power to set her on fire with a light touch, and this time was no different. When she felt his hands grab the hem of her shirt and lift it over her head, her heart started pounding in anticipation, and a familiar heat began to pool from between her thighs.

When her bare nipples grazed Talon's still covered chest, Quinn bit her lip and thought of how sensitive she already was... There was no way she was ready for what was coming.

Her beloved assassin pulled her in for deep kiss. She welcomed him fully, feeling his greatly missed taste invade her mouth. His warm tongue slid against her own like it had done countless times in the past, and Quinn knew she would never get enough of such a treatment.

The Demacian woman boldly took Talon's hand and put them on her breasts, applying sweet pressure by crushing her own palms against his. A familiar rumble came from Talon's chest at Quinn's gesture. She could tell he had missed touching her too.

"C'mere," He murmured in haste while lowering them both to the ground.

Quinn released a comfortable sigh when the grass softly touched her backside. Talon hovered over her, taking a moment to unclasp his cloak and armor, and take his shirt off. Quinn gasped at the sight of his bare torso glistening with sweat. Her eyes trailed down his sculpted chest and abs to the thin line of hair that disappeared under the ridge of his pants.

The heat between her legs had become unbearable. Quinn squirmed in discomfort and begged, barely able to utter words:

"Talon... P... Please... I-"

Quinn wasn't even able to finish her sentence that Talon's mouth hungrily caught hers again. His loving intrusion in her mouth quickly made her completely forget what she had been about to say. While one of his hands inflicted light strokes upon her nipples, the other expertly slid the last pieces of her clothing down.

Every touch, caress, and press of his fingers into her flesh made her head spin. As always, she was at his mercy. Talon nibbled at her in multiple places while he went down on her... Quinn's cheeks turned flaming red when she felt his lightly stubbled chin rasp against her milky thighs. He watched her from below with a dark craving look, and helpless like she was, Quinn could only bite her lip.

"Poor, poor little ranger..." teased Talon in a low voice.

His parted mouth was inching closer and closer to her most private part...

Quinn's eyes fluttered open. She was sprawled out on her bed, hot and panting, a slick wetness coating her inner thighs. Only this time, Talon wasn't there...

So it had been a dream all along.

The bitter taste of reality built up in her mouth. The ex ranger was all alone with her longing and with her lust. Quinn wanted to cry, but at the same time, her body needed to release the tension accumulated during the night.

Quinn held back her tears, and slid her hand down under the sheets. She had to finish on her own what had started in her dream. She hated herself for invoking mental images of the Noxian assassin, but it was impossible for her to do otherwise. She swallowed her shame and closed her eyes.

While she thought of the thin lips and tongue that she missed so much, she started touching herself. A simple brush of her fingers would be enough to send her over the edge...

Though the awakening was painful, she couldn't deny it had been a beautiful dream.

As Quinn went down the stairs, she found her father sitting at the large oak table reading the morning's newspaper. The broad man was squinting his eyes in an endearing manner. Quinn had repeated to him for years that he needed glasses, but he had never accepted to even try some.

After two weeks of staying at her family home, a strange routine had been established. Every morning, Quinn woke up after everyone else, even if she tried her best not to sleep in. She forced herself to stay into action as much as she could, mostly helping her parents around the house or taking care of Valor. When the great eagle wasn't pecking at her shutters, he usually came to greet her a few hours after.

Her father had always been known for waking early and tending to his garden in the first hours of the morning, then keeping himself busy. But he seemed to always be there when she woke up late. Quinn had the feeling that he had changed his habits just for her, to spy on her, or simply be there for her.

Her parents had probably had serious talks with Vianna since they didn't force too many unwanted contacts with her. Quinn was grateful of the situation, since she slowly felt more comfortable breathing and existing around the house. Her mother especially made tremendous effort not to be intrusive, though Quinn had caught her many times spying on her with a side glance.

"Hi, Dad!"

"Good morning Quinn." Her dad didn't lift his nose from the newspaper.

The first thing Quinn did every morning was watering the aromatic plants scattered in pots around the house. She had enjoyed doing it since she was little, and it helped her focusing on something else than the ghost haunting her thoughts. When she finished this little task, she put the watering vase on the window sill and looked outside. It was a beautiful day.

She sat at the table near her dad, eyeing a plate of blueberries that had surely been put there especially for her. But the Demacian woman wasn't hungry... Instead, a now familiar ache had nestled in her stomach.

"You aren't eating." Her father noticed, rising his eyes above the rim of the newspaper.

"I'm just not hungry now, it's okay." Quinn breathed.

"You're not hungry now, and you won't be later." Her father insisted. "You have to eat, dear."

He wasn't having it this morning. Quinn rose her eyes to the sky, knowing perfectly well that her father was simply pushing her to eat for her own well-being. But her stomach was so knotted that even a single blueberry would provoke an urge to throw up.

"I don't want to force myself." Quinn began playing with a spoon.

"I think you should. Look at you... You're so thin!" Traces of annoyance laced her father's voice.

"I... I just exercise less. That's muscle loss."

"Bullshit! Oh, sorry."

He hastily put his hand over his mouth. Quinn was too numb to react, but she knew that not so long ago, she would have laughed at her father's mistake.

"So, what are the news?" Quinn asked, hoping to shift the conversation towards another subject.

Her father frowned, but didn't insist anymore.

"The mage rebellion is moving from the capital to the surrounding towns and villages. They have evicted and captured most of the revolutionaries inside the city walls, but it has only stirred new hotbeds of revolt." Her father summarized.

Quinn nodded, not truly interested by the news. Only an inaudible part of her now cared for the Demacians inside the great city's walls.

"The investigators are also trying to determine if Noxus is involved, or could have even started it by manipulating the rebels."

"Why would they even think that?" Quinn didn't see the point.

"Well the murders committed by Talon du Couteau in the name of Noxus almost match the dates of the rebellion. Maybe his leaders told him to send a message there."

"I don't think so." Quinn blushed. "If I remember correctly, this... Man... Has just killed simple guards. Sounds like thugs settling their scores."

When she had heard about Talon's murder of the guards, two weeks from this moment, Quinn had tried by all means to find out who they were. But these nameless henchmen had died like animals, and had been reduced to simple numbers in her father's newspaper. She had suspicions about their identities, though.

But what had sounded strange to her was that Talon had signed his murder... While she had been on his trail before the events in Ixtal, Quinn had studied his modus operandi. No other assassin was as professional as Talon was. The only valuable clue of him having committed a murder was the utter perfection of the crimes. He never left any trace, and was never seen. It had been tremendously difficult to even find out his name... So why was he dropping it so casually like a business card?

"Then why taunt the Prince about it?" Her father pondered, as if he had read her mind.

"I don't know." Quinn blew out. "I just don't think that's related."

"And your... Noxian... Has he ever mentioned Talon du Couteau?" Her father casually asked, plunging himself back into his newspaper.

A sudden heat crept up Quinn's cheeks, betraying her awkwardness.

"Dad!"

"What?"

"I told you not to ask!" Quinn said through gritted teeth.

Oh, well... This was intrusive and annoying, but at least she was feeling something.

"A father can be curious about his daughter's acquaintances..." Her father still hid behind the newspaper.

"And don't act like you're reading!" Quinn accused, pointing her finger at him.

"I just want to know if that Noxian is safe to be around, that's all. Let me remind you, young lady, that engaging with the enemy is illegal!"

"I'm well aware, thank you!" Quinn was burning with anger, while her father remained calm.

She felt guilty for having pried into Talon's mind... Being spied on by her loved ones was a painful thing she hoped Talon or her would never experience to this extent again.

"So, what is he like... Is he kind? What's his job?"

The nerve!

"Alright, I'm done." Quinn rose from her seat and put the spoon back on the table. Her father's curiosity was too much she could deal with. But her father seemingly wasn't done... He threw the newspaper on the table, dropping the act. His temple's vein was showing on his forehead, and his nostrils flared. He was on the verge of letting his anger out, too.

"Listen, Quinn. I'm fine with giving you some time... But you're my daughter. I just want to know if the man you sabotaged your life for was worth it! Damn it."

Both father and daughter were trembling with repressed rage. When the tension became too much to handle, Quinn's father sat back in his chair, and drowned himself into the newspaper again. Quinn had kept her mouth shut to avoid being unfair to him, because in a sense, she knew he was right. He had simply voiced the bottled up shame she had been trying to break free from the start. But if there was one thing she would never allow her parents to force her to, it was to regret Talon.

She never would.

As she exited the room, she brought the bowl of blueberries with her. She didn't know if her father saw her do it, but she wanted to do him a small favor by trying to eat something. After all, he was making so many efforts... But even he had his limits. She stopped before the staircase, and had a long sigh. Was she going to regret this?

"He was worth it."

"What did you say?" Her father's voice came from the dining room.

"He was worth it... The Noxian." Quinn marked a pause... She knew her father was listening. "He almost gave his life for me. Did everything he could to protect me. And..."

Quinn had trouble swallowing.

"He's... Very handsome."

She heard her father huff from the other room.

"Of course."

Quinn had a small smile, and walked up the stairs to her bedroom.

One, two, three blueberries.

That was all Quinn could swallow. When Valor would come back, she would feed him the whole bowl. It used to be a treat she loved to share with him, but for now, he would have to enjoy it by himself.

The ex-ranger sat on her bed, holding her stomach. She really didn't feel well. The nauseating feeling crept up her throat, her mouth... Quinn sprung to her feet at once, and rushed to the bathroom. She threw up in the sink, coughing bile and heavily sweating.

She let the water run soundly to clean her mouth and face. She held herself on the sink, and looked at her face in the mirror.

Her father had been right. It was easy to notice her cheeks had hollowed. But something else had changed on her face... Her lips were red. Flaming red, like her skin was on fire. Her cheeks had a strong rosy tint to them that usually was never there. And Quinn felt hot...

Panic began to rise in her, as did her urge to throw up again. She wiped her mouth with clear water and started breathing fast.

Was she...

Quinn was afraid to even think of the word. Her mind started to race... Her cycle was late, but it was a phenomenon that had happened to her a lot in the past. Why would it be different now?...

The Demacian woman was no fool... She knew Talon and her had not been careful enough in their last days together. She remembered the sex had been to die for in this particular time. Quinn wanted to slap herself in the face over and over again. Of course, it had to happen. She had been more stupid than the dumbest schoolgirl.

Quinn clasped a hand over her mouth as a heart-wrenching sobs escaped her throat. The taste of bile burned her and made her want to throw up again. She closed the door by key, and let the water run as loud as possible.

No one could know.

The emotions flooding her were too new and violent to put a name on them yet... But Quinn didn't want them now. She let herself slide down the wall, trying to choke herself into silence. But the ugly tears were there to stay.

At last, Talon's muscles deigned to relax into the soothing warmth of the bath's water. He let his arms rest on the edge of the bathtub and threw his head back, humming in approval.

Between the attacks on the Manor, his constant arguments with Katarina, and his own personal torture sessions, Talon was living a whole new kind of personal Hell. The worst was the lack of sleep. Though he was accustomed to being sleep-deprived in his missions, he usually caught up with it once he was home in his own bed. But to do so, his mind needed to be clear... And at the moment, this was not the case.

His chest heaved in the water as he closed his eyes. His body desperately tried to find what little rest it could when his mind completely denied any respite. After all, more than a month with barely two hours of sleep per night was unbearable for any human, even him.

The door of the bathroom burst open as Katarina stormed in, an expression of fury plastered on her face.

Shit, Talon thought. He had forgotten to lock the door... An effect of the lack of sleep, for he never forgot that.

"Katarina..." He said through gritted teeth.

"We need to talk, brother!" Katarina was furious... Talking probably wasn't the right word.

"Can't you see I'm taking a bath?" Talon acidly replied.

"Good... You won't escape another time, then." Katarina snickered.

"Enough, Kat! Get the fuck out!" Talon growled. His hands clenched the tub's edges like a tiger preparing its claws.

"No, you fucking listen!" She hit the wall with her balled fist. "Another attack this morning. Another, damn it!"

If Talon was forced to have this conversation, he was about to make it quick. Katarina knew he hated to be caught while being vulnerable, and had waited for him to bathe to strike... Resting definitely seemed to be forbidden for him in this goddamn house.

"Weaklings. Pitiful excuses for assassins..."

"That's not the point! Yes, we slaughtered them like pigs... But what's coming next?" Katarina roared. "What possessed you to provoke those stuck-up shitheads like that?!"

Talon rose his arm and passed it behind his nape, droplets of water rolling down his muscles. The lack of sleep made him stretch a lot more than usual.

"Nothing is coming next. They can't deal with the mage rebellion and us at the same time."

"Us? You pulled me into your shit! I don't recognize you anymore Talon." She let out a long breath, hesitating about what she was about to spit. Talon's burning gaze was fixed on her. "You don't eat. You don't sleep. You barely train... Hell, you even stopped looking for Father! What the fuck is wrong with you?" The redhead threw her hands in the sky.

Ripples in the bathwater betrayed Talon's muscles tautening in rage. His teeth almost crushed each other when he spoke through them:

"Leave me the fuck alone if you don't want trouble, Katarina." He brought his other arm behind his neck, flexing his muscles in the process.

Katarina was fuming with hatred like she wanted to strike him. But suddenly, she froze. Something had caught her eye...

"What... Is that?" The anger had been replaced by cold curiosity.

"What?" Talon growled.

"On your arm..." Katarina approached him, and all his muscles tensed at once.

His sister took his arm, but he jerked it away, hiding it in the water. Katarina snickered.

"Don't make me get it down there."

"Go ahead... Want to lose a hand?"

Katarina defied him, locking her eyes onto his while she plunged her own hand in the water, her fingers enclosing on Talon's arm. She pulled it out, while Talon let her do.

The redhead's eyes tried to decipher the white scar on the inside of Talon's forearm. Her face became livid when she understood the words formed by his distorted flesh.

"Noxus Trash... That's a nice souvenir you got there. Where'd you get it?" She coldly asked.

But her question was only answered with silence, and a piercing gaze. Katarina let out a bitter laugh as she let Talon's arm fall back into the water.

"Hah... Look at you, Talon. The Blade's Shadow... I hope our enemies in Noxus don't know how weak and pathetic you've become. You let yourself die... You let yourself become that trash." Her words bit like venom.

Talon didn't think twice if this provocation was intended by the fiery redhead. Forgetting about being bare, he pounced on her. He gripped her wrists and pinned her on the bathroom's floor with, for a second, a dire need to kill her.

But Katarina wasn't a helpless kitten... Using the wetness of his body, she slipped from his grasp and tried to make him trip by sneaking her foot behind his leg. Talon knew this trick of hers and caught her leg instead, making her fall hard in a thud. He gripped her hair, crushing her face on the floor.

"Why... Why do you let yourself d... die?" Katarina muttered from below.

Talon dropped her hair and wrapped a towel around his hips. The sudden activity had hurt his already sore muscles. He was on edge, permanently in pain. This state couldn't last or he would die. Katarina was right.

"Fuck." He whispered.

The Noxian assassin caught his face in his hand and rubbed his temples. He was tired.

"Even if you don't tell me what is wrong... You have to do something, Talon."

Katarina wiped her cheek from the small trickle of blood that ran down a fresh cut. She quickly went back up on her feet. The redhead seemed to be waiting for something, and had taken Talon's humiliation of pinning her to the ground strangely well.

"I..." Talon started.

Thinking about telling the truth was something, but spitting it out for real was something else. Everything had been easy with Quinn when Talon had forgotten about himself and his past, but now... Every thought and word hurt like a thousand needles. But Katarina was still there, patient.

Talon closed his eyes, trying to forget himself like his love for Quinn had allowed him to.

"I love... Someone."

"Ooh... Interesting lie. And you've never pulled it off before, I'm impressed." Katarina hummed.

"I'm not lying Kat. Don't make it harder than it already is..." Talon sighed.

"You Talon, loving someone? Don't make me laugh. Unless that someone is your favourite blade..."

"I do Kat, for fuck's sake!" Talon growled.

"Well... That would explain the shitty state you're in. Go ahead, I'm listening." Kat sat on the chair by the bathtub, where Talon had put all his clothes. She rested her chin on her hands like a sinister child waiting for the story to start.

Talon cursed his own weakness and tiredness. They had to be responsible for his confession... A part of him knew he was completely helpless, too. His longing for Quinn was consuming him... And it was about time he did something.

"I hope she's hot..." Katarina had a side smirk.

Talon wanted to crawl back into the bathtub, but the distant mention of the Demacian woman suddenly filled him with life. The certainty started to invade him. Running away from his feelings had done him no good anyway.

"Don't you dare steal her from me." Talon started with pride.

At the moment, he realized the pain he had been inflicting upon himself had been useless. If he had to be selfish, so be it. He wasn't strong enough to stay away. Quinn was his woman, and for the first time, he wanted to make it known.

[A/N: That chapter was really cool to write. The title, "Not Strong Enough", was inspired by the Apocalyptica song of the same name. Please check it out, it will put you in the mood after that chapter!

Oh, another thing, but I hurt my finger. So I wrote without using it mostly, and I reread quite a few times, but it's possible some letters are just... Gone haha. Apologies if you find such mistakes. I hope you enjoy the chapter, and as always, I will greatly appreciate any support! QxT for the win!]